Ime Udoka could be running out of excuses for the Rockets very soon

Despite having a quiet offseason, the Rockets are heading into a season with high expectations around a strong defense and an offense built on the back of the evergreen scoring maestro Kevin Durant. But it's clear that Houston has a problem and needs more diversity in their offense to weaponize all of their players as credible scoring threats.

It's true that some of their issues are caused by the personnel itself, since many Rockets lack league-average shooting at their positions, but the coaching has also not done them any favors in the last couple seasons. If the Rockets suffer another disappointing playoff exit with lackluster postseason offense, they may need to start looking elsewhere for a head coach to lead them over the hump.

Time is running out for Udoka to change his ways

Even before arriving in Houston, Udoka had already cultivated a reputation as a defensive mastermind who didn't pay the same attention to offensive gameplanning. When he reached the Finals in 2022 with the Celtics, Boston had the second-best defense in the NBA by defensive rating. Udoka masterfully combined hounding perimeter defenders, led by Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, with ferocious shot blockers to stifle opposing teams.

But the Celtics were also known for an uncreative offense that ultimately proved to be their downfall in the Finals against an experienced Warriors squad. Udoka's offense relied too heavily on isolation sets, which the Warriors were able to snuff out. The next season, Udoka was ousted from Boston and the Celtics saw their offense take another step with Joe Mazzulla at the helm, eventually netting a championship in 2024.

Udoka brought that same accumen to the Rockets, who rapidly transformed into a solid defense and playoff team. But their postseason ceiling has still been low in the last two seasons due to a stagnant offense. With Udoka at the helm, the Rockets haven't been able to string together enough points to match up with more experienced opponents.

It's not all on Udoka but he does need to improve

Again, the Rockets' players do have to improve in their own ways as well. Shooting is a primary concern for most of Houston's roster, as well as handling the intensity of playoff defense. Two things can be true at once - the Rockets need to produce better on offense and Udoka needs to put them in better positions to succeed.

He's still too reliant on the individual talents of standout scorers like Durant and Alperen Sengun. The Rockets offense hasn't been dynamic enough considering their overall lack of elite shooting and reliable creators outside those two players. That's where Udoka's improvements need to happen before next postseason.

If Udoka can't make the necessary changes, the Rockets' leadership will feel a lot of pressure to get a coach who can deliver offensively. In another year, they'll be staring down the barrel of lucrative contracts for both Sengun and Amen Thompson, as well as Kevin Durant himself being a year older.

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